Complete colour managed packaging workflow

Artwork Systems has selected colour management specialist X-Rite as a preferred partner for offering profiling hardware and software in conjunction with its new Equinox product.

Launched at Graph Expo 2006, Equinox is a colour conversion technology that enables the standardization of five, six or seven printing inks, eliminating the need for printers to rely completely on CMYK or spot colour standards. The ability to standardize on a printer's own inks is said to result in shorter makeready times, less waste and much smaller ink stocks while enabling composite printing.

As a preferred partner, X-Rite will provide Eye-One iO and ProfileMaker 5 as a bundled package in the Equinox product. Eye-One iO incorporates the Eye-One Pro spectrophotometer into the automated iO scan table. It is claimed to provide fast, accurate test chart measurements of various substrates up to 10mm. ProfileMaker 5 software provides professional colour management said to deliver consistent, predictable colour for prepress, proofing and print production applications. The software can be easily upgraded to a multicolour module for printers engaged in a CMYK+ or n-colour workflow - streamlining and facilitating colour accuracy wherever high volume of spot colours is required.

Petra Tant, product manager labels and packaging at Artwork Systems, comments: “Partnering with X-Rite enables us to provide our customers with the ability to cultivate an accurate colour ecosystem through the implementation of ICC profiles that deliver predictable results every time.”